Hand bag or case



April 24, 1928. 1,667,014

G. c. ST.J. SNELL HAND BAG 0R CASE Filed Aug. 7, 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 1April 24, 1928.

G. C. ST.J. SNELL HAND BAG OR CASE Filed Aug. 7. 1926 s Sheets-Sheet 2April 24. 1928.

1,667,014 G. c. ST.J.,SNELL IiAND BAG 0R CASE Filed Aug. 7, 1926 3Sheets-Sheet 3 219 dfiarneya Patented Apr. 24, 192 s,

GEORGE GARBUTHEBS ST. JOHN SNELL F BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR TO J. BBROOKS AND COMPANY LIMITED, 0F BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND, A BRITISH COMPANY.

m BAG on CASE.

t Application filed new 7,

This invention relates to suit-cases, blouse-cases and likehand bags orcases for containing personal belongings while travelling.

5 The object of the invention is to provide an improved construction ofhand bag or case which is chea er .to manufacture and is lighter inweight t an the usual leather suitcases or the like, but which isnevertheless strong and rigid in use.

According to the invention, the body of the bag or case is composed of aperipheral stiflening board set vertically on edge with the ends joinedtogether, so as to .form' the required shape, and made of suitablemateria1,.such as fibre-board, mill-board or the like, being coveredupon the outside by oilcloth, leather, or other flexible material; andthe top and bottom of the said body are reinforced by separate rigidframes corresponding in shape to the contour of the stiife'ning board,and secured to or engaged with the inside face of the latter, the top 1frame being held in place by turning over 5 the, upper edge of theexterior covering on to the inside of the body and securing it theretoso as to overlap the said frame. The bottom frame may be held in placeby the inside lining of the bag, said lining being secured to thestifiening wallsa The top and bottom of the case may be of flexiblewaterproof material without stiflening boards, the top being attached tothe body at the back thereof so that it can be folded over to cover themouth or top of'the case, and preferably having a flexible flange bymeans of which it may be secured to the front of the body, and also,-ifnecessary, to

the sides, by means of suitable fastening de- 40 vices. A

The lining for the vertical walls of the case is preferably firstseamedto the junction of the bottom and vertical-wall externalcoverings, and then thestifieningboards and metal frames are placed inposition, and after the external covering has been turned over on to theinside face of the boards and secured thereto, the said lining is raisedto cover the boards and cemented or otherwisesecured thereto immediatelyabove the botthe back, as at 3, Figure 5. The lower edge 1926, SerialNo. 127,764, and in Great Britain March 31, 1926.

tom metal frame, so as to hold the latter in place, and also at the topedge, and at other parts if necessary.

Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings represents a perspective view of aladys blouse or suit case constructed in accordance with the presentinvention. I

Figure 2 is'a transverse section through the case, with the-lid partlyraised.

Fi re 3 is a verticalsection, upon a larger scale, of the top edge ofthe body of the case, showing the reinforcing frame.

Figure 4 is a similar section through one of the bottom corners.

Figure 5, represents a horizontal section through the body of the case,on line m-fi, Figure 2, showing the contour of the peripheral stifieningboard.

Figure 6 is a horizontal section on line :20, Figure 2, showing how thehandle is secured. I

Figure 7 is an inside elevation of the rear side wall of the case with aportion of the lining removed, showing how the ends of the stiffeningboard overlap and are joined together.

Figure 8 is a vertical section through one of the front corners of thelid, the body of the case being shown in elevation.

Figure 9 illustrates, in perspective, the stiffening board and metalframes, before the case is made up.

Referring to Figures 1 to 9 of the drawin'gs, the body of the case is ofthe usual rectangular shape, and is composed essentially of a peripheralstiffening wall 1 of fibre-board, mill-board, or the like, set on edge,and covered externally with a covering 2 of oil-cloth, leather,imitation leather or other flexible and preferably waterproof material.This flexible covering 2-is'in the form of a peripheral band continuousaround the front, sides and back of the body, the

ends preferably being stitched together at of this covering is seamed to'a bottom piece 4 of similar ,waterproof fiexible material, preferablyby folding the edges of these parts inwards and stitching them together(see Figure 4), there being also included ed, the upper portions of thesaid tabs which V are situated m the corners of the lid, arestiffened-by means of strips 19 of fibre-board or the like securedbetween two'thicknesses of material forming the tab, as shown in 70buckled br crumpled when the tabs are'liftat v or the like, bent to therequired rectangular shape (see Figures 5 and 9) with the endsoverlapping at the back of the case and riv eted together, as M 8. Thisrectangular frame or wall .1 is placed in a vertical posit1on againstthe inside face of the "outer covering;2 before. thelinin'g 7 of theside walls 1s ra1sed and fastened in place. Thus the said lining 7,being secured at its lower edge to the outer covering 2 and to thehotthe sides of the case is then raised over the tom 4, lies upon thelatter while the stiifenmg board 1 is belng inserted. To give thenecessary rigidity to the case, two endless steel frames or hoofs, 9,10, of-rectangular form, andof circular or other convenient section; areplaced within the body against the inside face of the stiffeningboard 1. The frame 9 is placed at the bottom of the case, and the other10 around the inside of the open top of, the bodyaflush with the edge ofthe stiffening board. To secure'this top frame 10 in place, the upperedge 11 of the exterior waterproof covering 2- is folded inwards' over.the top edge of the stiffening board, so as to overlap the steel frame9, and is cemented to the inside face of the board and to the frame. Thelinifig 7 for face ofthe stiffening board and is cemented theretoImmediately above the bottom steel frame 9. and also at the top edge. Bythis means the bottom frame 9 is heldin place and prevented from rising.Both frames 9. 10, mavalso be glued-to the inside face of the stiffeningboard.

I The lid.or cover 12 of the case consists of a rectangular piece ofoil-cloth. leather. or

. other. flexible waterproof material, stitched along ts rear edge at 13to the back of the stiffening-board 1, and provided at the front andsides with a continuous depending flex? 1b1e flange 14 made of the samematerial and suitably seamed to the main portion, preferis; example, asshown, the flange 14 may have stitched to the inside of thefront cornerstabs 16 made of ably with an externally-disposed -corded 1 strip 15included in the seam. When the lid- .is closed vthisflanire is adaptedto be detach- ]a'bly secured-to the body at the corners, or b d atother-points, .by means of turn-buttons snap-fasteners, straps or othermeans} For exible material and depend ing below the lower edge of theflange, these 7 tabs carrying snap-fastener members 17 adapted to engagewith co-operating fastener body.- The tabs 16 serveto'...;raise.the lid,but to prevent thecorners offthellid from being Fi re 8; carrying handle20 is secured to the front of the body, and in order to attach thisfirmly a metal strip 21 is riveted to the inside face of the stifieninthe attachment plates 22] or the handle are secured by rivets 23 assedthrough the body and through the sai metal strip 21.

Having fully described my invention,

what I desire to claim and secure by Letters Patent is 1. A handtravelling case comprising a body portion composed of a peripheralstillening board set verticall on edge with the ends overlapping andjoined together to 95 form the required shape, separate'top and bottomendless reinforcing frames corresponding' in shape to the contour of thestiffening board and engaged with the inner face thereof, one adjacentthe bottom and the other adjacent the top, an outer covering of flexiblematerial the upper edge of which is turned over and secured to. theinside faceof the stiffening board so as to overlap the top reinforcinframe, and an inside lining covermg the ottom reinforcing frameand'secured to the inside face of the stiffening" board. 5

2. A hand travelling case comprising a ends overlapping and-joinedtogether to form the required shape, separate top and bottom endlessreinforcing frames corresponding in shapeto the contour of the stifi-103 I ening board and engaged with the inner face thereof, an outercovering of'flexible .mate-' rial the upp'er edge of'which is turnedover and secured to the inside face of the'stifi'ening. board so as tooverlap the-top reinforcing frame, a separate bottom mad'e of flexiblematerial and stitched to the outer covering, and a separate in!made'of-flexible 7 material and attached to-the back of the body, saidlid having a flexible. flange adapted to engage ever the upper portionof the 3. A hand travelling caseteomprising a 1 body portioncomposedof-a peripheral stifi e'ning board setvertic'ally on edge,separate 0 top and bottomend1ess reinforcing frames correspondinginshape to the contour of the stiffening board and engaged with theinner face thereof, an outer covering of flexible 5 material the upperedge of which is turned 3 g members 18- secured to the cornersof theover and secured to the inside face of the stiffening board so as tooverla the top r3- inforcing frame, a bottom ma e offlexibleboard, 1,while "I "body portion composed of aperipheral sti-ifening board setvertically on edge with the meager-e iortions of the tabs, fastenerelements cartried by the lower ends ofthe tabs, and 00- operatingfastener elements on the body.

Signed' at Birmingham, in thecounty of material and attached tothe outercovering, a lid made of flexible material and attached to the back ofthe body, said lid having a flexible flange adapted to engage over the 5upper portion of the body, depending tabs \Vahvick'En'gland, this 16thday of July, attached to the inside of the front corners A. D1926of'the,fiange, means for stiffening the mower GEORGE A R THERS T- J HNSNELL-

